Swing arm for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A swing arm for a vehicle includes a left member including at least one left tube extending longitudinally and a right member including at least one right tube extending longitudinally. Respective front end portions of the left and right members are adapted to be pivotably connected to a frame of the vehicle. Respective rear end portions of the left and right members are adapted to mount a rear wheel axle. A cross member extends laterally between the left and right members and includes a stamped first portion being rigidly connected to at least one of the left and right members. A stamped second portion of the cross member is rigidly connected to at least the other of the left and right members. The first and second portions are connected to each other and define a space therebetween.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/910,240 filed on Nov. 29, 2013, the entirety of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present technology relates to swing arms for vehicles.

BACKGROUND

In wheeled straddle-seat vehicles, the rear wheel is typically connectedto the vehicle frame by a rear suspension assembly which includes aswing arm and a shock absorber. In certain situations, such as forexample, during turns or when one of the wheels of the vehicleexperiences a flat tire, the rear suspension assembly is subjected tolarge lateral, vertical and torsional forces. It is thus desirable tomake the rear suspension assembly of straddle-seat vehicles strong,durable and capable of withstanding the lateral, vertical and torsionalforces that may be encountered in different situations.

In wheeled straddle-seat vehicles, the rear wheel is typically connectedto the engine via a belt-type transmission. The belt-type transmissionincludes a sprocket mounted to the crankshaft of the engine or atransmission output shaft, another sprocket mounted to the rear wheel,and a drive belt disposed around both sprockets in order to transmittorque from the crankshaft/transmission output shaft to the rear wheel.It is desirable to adjust the separation between the two sprockets inorder to maintain a particular tension in the drive belt. Thus, it wouldbe desirable to adjust the position of the rear axle upon which the rearwheel and the rear wheel sprocket are mounted.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present technology to ameliorate at least some ofthe inconveniences mentioned above.

In accordance with one aspect of the present technology, there isprovided a swing arm for a vehicle including a left member including atleast one left tube extending longitudinally and a right memberincluding at least one right tube extending longitudinally. Respectivefront end portions of the left and right members are adapted to bepivotably connected to a frame of the vehicle. Respective rear endportions of the left and right members are adapted to mount a rear wheelaxle. A cross member extends laterally between the left and rightmembers and includes a stamped first portion being rigidly connected toat least one of the left and right members. A stamped second portion ofthe cross member is rigidly connected to at least the other of the leftand right members. The first and second portions are connected to eachother and define a space therebetween.

In some implementations, the stamped first portion is an upper portionhaving a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge connected to the leftmember and a right edge connected to the right member. The stampedsecond portion is a lower portion having a front edge, a rear edge, aleft edge connected to the left member and a right edge connected to theright member.

In some implementations, the rear edges of the upper and lower portionsare connected to each other, and the front edges of the upper and lowerportions are connected to each other.

In some implementations, a front portion of the upper portion extendsupwardly from the front edge of the lower portion, and a rear portion ofthe upper portion extends upwardly from the rear edge of the lowerportion.

In some implementations, a front portion of the lower portion extendsdownwardly from the front edge of the upper portion, and a rear portionof the lower portion extends downwardly from the rear edge of the upperportion.

In some implementations, the cross member is hollow.

In some implementations, the at least one left tube of the left memberincludes an upper left tube and a lower left tube extendinglongitudinally. The upper and lower left tubes are connected together atleast at one of: front end portions of the upper and lower left tubesand rear end portions of the upper and lower left tubes. The at leastone right tube of the right member includes an upper right tube and alower right tube extending longitudinally. The upper and lower righttubes are connected together at least at one of: the front end portionsthe upper and lower right tubes and the rear end portions of the upperand lower right tubes.

In some implementations, the left member further includes a leftconnection tube connected to the upper and lower left tubes. The rightmember further includes a right connection tube connected to the upperand lower right tubes.

In some implementations, the left connection tube is disposedlongitudinally between the front and rear end portions of the leftmember, and the right connection tube is disposed longitudinally betweenthe front and rear end portions of the right member.

In some implementations, a front portion of the upper left tube and afront portion of the upper right tube are parallel to each other.

In some implementations, a rear portion of the upper left tube and arear portion of the upper right tube are parallel to each other. Therear portion of the upper left tube is disposed leftwardly of the frontportion of the upper left tube. The rear portion of the upper right tubeis disposed rightwardly of the front portion of the upper right tube.

In some implementations, the stamped first portion is an upper portionhaving a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge being connected to theupper left tube and a right edge being connected to the upper righttube. The stamped second portion is a lower portion having a front edge,a rear edge, a left edge being connected to the lower left tube and aright edge being connected to the lower right tube.

In some implementations, the rear edges of the upper and lower portionsare connected to each other, and the front edges of the upper and lowerportions are connected to each other.

In some implementations, a connection between the rear edges of theupper and lower portions of the cross member is disposed verticallybetween the upper left tube and the lower left tube.

In some implementations, the cross member further includes a leftportion connected to at least one of the upper and lower portions and aright portion connected to at least one of the upper and lower portions.The left portion has an upper edge connected to the left upper tube anda lower edge connected to the lower left tube. The right portion has anupper edge connected to the upper right tube and a lower edge connectedto the lower right tube.

In some implementations, a shock absorber mount connected to the leftand right members and extending laterally therebetween, the shockabsorber mount being adapted to connect to one end of a shock absorber.

In some implementations, the shock absorber mount is disposedlongitudinally between the cross member and the rear end portions of theleft and right members.

In some implementations, the shock absorber mount includes a first shockabsorber mount member connected to the left and right members andextending laterally therebetween, a left shock absorber mount memberbeing connected to the first shock absorber mount member and the leftmember, a right shock absorber mount member being connected to the firstshock absorber mount member and the right member, and a mounting bracketbeing adapted to be connected to the one end of the shock absorber andbeing disposed laterally between the left and right members. Themounting bracket is connected to at least one of: the left and rightshock absorber mount members, and the first shock absorber mount member.

In some implementations, a brake caliper mounting bracket connected toone of the left and right members, the brake caliper mounting bracketbeing adapted to be connected to a brake caliper connected to a rearwheel mounted on the rear wheel axle.

In some implementations, at least one aperture is defined in one of: theat least one left tube, and the at least one right tube. The one of theat least one left tube and the at least one right tube is adapted tohouse a portion of a parking brake cable operatively connected to thebrake caliper, and the at least one aperture is configured to receivetherethrough the parking brake cable.

In accordance with another aspect of the present technology, there isprovided a vehicle including a frame, at least one front wheel connectedto the frame and at least one rear wheel connected to the frame. Thevehicle includes a rear axle, the at least one rear wheel being mountedto the rear axle. A motor is supported by the frame and operativelyconnected to at least one of the wheels. A seat is connected to theframe. The vehicle also includes a swing arm having a left memberincluding at least one left tube extending longitudinally and a rightmember including at least one right tube extending longitudinally.Respective front end portions of the left and right members arepivotably connected to the frame. The rear axle is mounted to respectiverear end portions of the left and right members. A cross member extendslaterally between the left and right members. The cross member has astamped first portion rigidly connected to at least one of the left andright members and a stamped second portion rigidly connected to at leastthe other of the left and right members. The first and second portionsare connected to each other and define a space therebetween.

In some implementations, a parking brake cable operatively connects aparking brake actuator to the at least one rear wheel. A portion of theparking brake cable being housed in one of the at least one left tube,and the at least one right tube.

For the purpose of this application, terms related to spatialorientation such as downwardly, rearward, forward, front, rear, left,right, above and below are as they would normally be understood by adriver of the vehicle sitting thereon in an upright position with thevehicle in a straight ahead orientation (i.e. not steered left orright), and in an upright position (i.e. not tilted).

Implementations of the present vehicle each have at least one of theabove-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presentvehicle that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentionedobject may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfy other objects notspecifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages ofimplementations of the present vehicle will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present technology, as well as otheraspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevation view of a three-wheel straddle-typevehicle;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevation view of the rear suspension assembly,rear wheel, rear wheel fender and transmission of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, taken from a rear left side, of the rearsuspension assembly, rear wheel fender and transmission of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is top plan view of the rear suspension assembly, rear wheelfender and transmission of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, taken from a rear left side, of the swingarm of the rear suspension assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a rear elevation view of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a partially exploded perspective view, taken from a rear leftside, of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a partially exploded left side elevation view of the swingarm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a cross member of the swing arm of FIG.5;

FIG. 14A is a perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of thebrake assembly of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view, taken from a rear left side, of a rearportion of the swing arm of FIG. 5 with the rear wheel brake attachedthereto;

FIG. 14C is a perspective view, taken from a rear left side, of a rearportion of the swing arm of FIG. 5 and the rear wheel brake of with arotor of the rear wheel brake removed for clarity;

FIG. 15 is a left side elevation view of a left axle holder and leftaxle adjuster assembly of the swing arm of FIG. 5;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the left axle holder and left axleadjuster assembly of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a bottom plan view of the left axle holder and left axleadjuster assembly of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the left axle holder and left axleadjuster assembly of FIG. 15 taken along the line 18-18 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a rear elevation view of the left axle holder and left axleadjuster assembly of FIG. 15;

FIG. 20 is a front elevation view of the left axle holder and left axleadjuster assembly of FIG. 15;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view, taken from a rear left side, of the leftaxle adjuster assembly and cap of the left axle holder of FIG. 15;

FIG. 22 is a left side elevation view of the left axle adjuster assemblyand cap of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of the left axle adjuster assembly and cap ofFIG. 21; and

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the left axle adjuster assembly andcap of FIG. 21, taken along the line 24-24 of FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology is being described with respect to a three-wheelstraddle-type vehicle 10. However, it is contemplated that the presenttechnology could be used on other types of vehicles such as, forexample, motorcycles, and three- or four-wheel all-terrain vehicles.

With reference to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 has a front portion 2 and a rearportion 4 defined consistently with the forward travel direction of thevehicle 10. The vehicle 10 has a frame 12 which has a longitudinalcenterplane 7.

The vehicle 10 is a three-wheel vehicle including a left front wheel 14,a right front wheel 14 and a single rear wheel 16. It is howevercontemplated that the vehicle 10 could have more than one rear wheel 16.Each front wheel 14 is connected to the frame 12 by a front suspensionassembly (not shown). The rear wheel 16 is connected to the frame 12 bya rear suspension assembly 19 which includes a swing arm 100 and a shockabsorber 102. The rear suspension 19 will be described below in furtherdetail. The left and right front wheels 14 and the rear wheel 16 eachhave a tire secured thereto. It is contemplated that the front wheels 14or the rear wheel 16 could have more than one tire secured thereto. Thefront wheels 14 are equally offset from the longitudinal centerplane 7in the lateral direction, and the rear wheel 16 is centered with thelongitudinal centerplane 7. The front wheels 14 rotate about a rotationaxis 14 a. The rear wheel 16 rotates about a rotation axis 16 a. In theillustrated implementation, each of the rotation axes 14 a, 16 a of thewheels 14, 16 is disposed horizontally. A common plane 15 containing therotation axes 14 a, 16 a of the wheels 14, 16, when the vehicle isplaced on level ground and without a driver, passenger, or any cargoloaded thereon, is referred to herein as a rotation plane 15. It iscontemplated that each of the rotation axes 14 a of the front wheels 14could be disposed at an angle with respect to the horizontal, andtherefore not disposed in a common horizontal plane 15. In this case,the rotation plane 15 is defined as a plane perpendicular to thelongitudinal centerplane 7 and passing through the centers of the wheels14, 16.

The vehicle 10 is a straddle-type vehicle having a straddle seat 20disposed along the longitudinal centerplane 7 and supported by the frame12. The straddle seat 20, which is adapted to accommodate twoadult-sized riders, includes a forward seat portion 20 a for the driverand a rear seat portion 20 b for a passenger. The second portion 20 b ishigher than the first portion 20 a. It is contemplated that thethree-wheel vehicle 10 could not have the rear seat portion 20 b.

The frame 12 supports a motor 32 (shown schematically) locatedvertically below the straddle seat 20 and longitudinally rearward of thefront wheels 14. The motor 32 is an inline three-cylinder four-strokeinternal combustion engine in the illustrated implementation of thevehicle 10. It is contemplated that the motor 32 could be another typeof engine, such as a two-stroke internal combustion engine. It iscontemplated that other types of motors such as, but not limited to, anelectric motor, or a hybrid could also be used. The motor 32 is referredto hereinafter as engine 32 for convenience. The engine 32 isoperatively connected to the rear wheel 16 to drive the rear wheel 16.It is contemplated that the engine 32 could be connected to the frontwheels 14 in addition to the rear wheel 16. The engine 32 has acrankshaft (not shown) which rotates about a crankshaft axis disposednormal to the longitudinal centerplane 7. The rear wheel 16 isoperatively connected to the crankshaft through a transmission 62. Thetransmission 62 includes a transmission output shaft 64 operativelyconnected to the engine 32 via a plurality of gears (not shown). It iscontemplated the transmission output shaft 64 could be connected to thecrankshaft so as to be coaxial therewith. It is also contemplated thatthe crankshaft could be the transmission output shaft 64. Thetransmission output shaft 64 rotates about a transmission output shaftaxis 64 a disposed normal to the longitudinal centerplane 7. Atransmission sprocket 66 is mounted to the transmission output shaft 64.A wheel sprocket 68 is mounted to the hub of the rear wheel 16 on theleft side thereof. A belt 70 is disposed about the wheel sprocket 68 andthe transmission sprocket 66 to transmit power from the engine 32 to thewheel sprocket 68. The wheel sprocket 68 rotates the rear wheel 16 topropel the vehicle 10 along the ground. It is contemplated that theengine 32 could be connected to the wheel sprocket 68 via a continuouslyvariable transmission (CVT) in addition to the transmission 62.

With reference to FIG. 1, fairings 22 are connected to the frame 12 toenclose and protect the internal components of the three-wheel vehicle10 such as the engine 32. The fairings 22 include a hood 24 disposed atthe front of the vehicle 10 between the front wheels 14. The hood 24 ispivotably connected to the frame 12 and can be disposed in an openposition to provide access to a storage bin 25 disposed under the hood24. The fairings 22 also include a rear deflector 26, or fender 26,disposed over the rear wheel 16 to protect the driver and/or passengerfrom dirt and water which can be lifted by the wheel 16 while it isrolling.

A steering assembly 50 is disposed forwardly of the straddle seat 20 toallow a driver to steer the two front wheels 14. The steering assembly50 includes a handlebar 52 connected to a steering column 54. Thesteering column 54 is connected to the front wheels 14 via steeringlinkages (not shown) such that turning the handlebar 52 turns thesteering column 54 which, through the steering linkages, turns thewheels 14. In the illustrated implementation of the vehicle 10, thesteering assembly 50 includes a power steering unit (not shown) tofacilitate steering of the vehicle 10. It is contemplated that the powersteering unit could be omitted.

A left hand grip 53 and a right hand grip 53 are placed respectivelyaround the left and right sides of the handlebar 52. A clutch actuator59 is connected to the handlebar 52 near the left hand grip 53. It iscontemplated that the clutch actuator 59 could be connected near theright hand grip 53. It is also contemplated that the clutch actuator 59could be omitted. It is contemplated that a hand operated brake actuatorcould also be connected to the handlebar 52 near one of the hand grips53.

A driver footrest 40 is disposed on either side of the vehicle 10 andvertically lower than the straddle seat 20 to support the driver's feet.The left driver footrest 40 is mounted on a left rail 80 connected tothe frame 12 and disposed on a left side of the longitudinal centerplane7. The right driver footrest 40 is mounted on a right rail 80 connectedto the frame 12 and disposed on a right side of the longitudinalcenterplane 7. A pair of passenger footrests 42 is disposed on each sideof the vehicle 10 and rearward of the driver footrests 40 to providesupport for the passenger's feet. The passenger footrests 42 are fixedto the frame 12. In the illustrated implementation, the footrests 40, 42are in the form of foot pegs. It is however contemplated that thefootrests 40, 42 could be in the form of footboards. A gear-shiftactuator 46, in the form of a foot-operated gear shift lever 46, isconnected to the left driver footrest 40. The gear shift actuator 46 isoperatively connected to a gear shift selector of the transmission ofthe vehicle 10 for selecting one of a plurality of gears. It is alsocontemplated that the gear shift actuator 46 could be omitted, forexample, in a vehicle 10 having an automatic transmission 62. It iscontemplated that the gear shift actuator 46 could be omitted and thatthe vehicle 10 could instead have a hand-operated gear shift actuatorconnected to the handlebar 52.

A brake actuator (not shown), in the form of a foot-operated brakelever, is connected to the right driver footrest 40 for braking thevehicle 10. The foot brake lever is operatively connected to the brakes45 (FIG. 14A) provided on each of the two front wheels 14 and the rearwheel 16. It is contemplated that the foot brake lever could beoperatively connected only to the brakes 45 of the front wheels 14, oronly to the brake 45 of the rear wheel 16. It is contemplated that thefoot brake lever could be omitted and that the vehicle 10 could beprovided with a hand-operated brake actuator connected to the handlebar52 instead. It is contemplated that the brake assembly 47 could beconnected to a hand-operated brake actuator mounted to the handlebar 52in addition to the foot brake lever mounted to the right footrest 40.The vehicle 10 also includes a parking brake actuator 43 (FIG. 14A)connected to the frame and operable with the hand. The parking brakeactuator 43 is operatively connected to the brake 45 provided on therear wheel 16 as will be described below. It is contemplated that theparking brake actuator 43 could be foot-operated. It is alsocontemplated that the parking brake actuator 43 could be electricallyactuated. For example, the parking brake actuator 43 could beelectrically operated by pressing a button provided on the display paneldisposed forward of the driver seat 20 a.

With reference to FIG. 14A, each of the two front wheels 14 and the rearwheel 16 is provided with a brake 45. The brakes 45 of the three wheels14, 16 form a brake assembly 47. Each brake 45 is a disc-type brakemounted onto a hub of its respective wheel 14 or 16. Other types ofbrakes are contemplated. Each brake 45 includes a rotor 45 a mountedonto the wheel hub and a stationary caliper 45 b straddling the rotor 45a. The brake pads (not shown) are mounted to the caliper 45 b so as tobe disposed between the rotor 45 a and the caliper 45 b on either sideof the rotor 45 a.

The foot brake lever is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 34. Thehydraulic cylinder 34 is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic piston(not shown) of each brake caliper 45 b via brake lines 38. When the footbrake lever is actuated, hydraulic pressure is applied to the hydrauliccylinder 34 and thereby to a piston (not shown) of each caliper 45 b,causing the brake pads to squeeze their respective rotors 45 a which,through friction, brakes the wheels 14 and 16. The hydraulic cylinder 34is connected to a hydraulic reservoir 35 which ensures that adequatepressure is maintained in the brake lines 38 and the cylinder 34.

The parking brake actuator 43 is connected to the brake caliper 45 b ofthe rear wheel 16 via a parking brake cable 39 and a lever 190 connectedto the rear wheel brake caliper 45 b. When the parking brake actuator 43is actuated, the parking brake cable 39 pulls on the lever of the rearwheel brake caliper 45 b to cause the brake pads to squeeze the rotor 45a, thereby braking the rear wheel 16. It is contemplated that theparking brake actuator 43 could be connected to the brake calipers 45 bof the front wheels 14 instead of, or in addition to, being connected tothe brake caliper 45 b of the rear wheel 16.

The rear suspension assembly 19 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 2 to 24.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the swing arm 100 of the rear suspensionassembly 19 includes a left member 104 and a right member 104. A crossmember 106, a shock absorber mount 108 and a rear axle 110 extendlaterally between the left and right members 104. A fender support 112connected to the left and right members 104 mounts the fender 26 overthe rear wheel 16. The fender support 112 and the rear axle 110 areconnected to the swing arm 104 by an axle holder 200 connected to eachmember 104.

The right member 104 is generally a mirror image of the left member 104.As such, only the left member 104 will be described herein.Corresponding and similar features of the left and right members havebeen labeled with the same reference numbers and will not be describedagain herein.

The left member 102 includes an upper tube 120, a lower tube 122 and aconnection tube 124 rigidly connected to one another. The upper tube 120extends from a front end 120 a to a rear end 120 b. A cylindrical sleeve126 is formed at the front end of the upper tube 120. The central axis126 a of the cylindrical sleeve 126 defines the pivot axis for theconnection of the swing arm 100 to the frame 12. A bolt 127 (FIG. 3) isinserted through the left sleeve 126 to connect the left member 104 tothe left end of an axle 129. The axle 129 is disposed between the leftand right sleeves 126 and connected to the frame 12. A bearing 128 isplaced between the sleeve 126 and the bolt 127 and coaxially therewith.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 6, when viewed from a left side, the leftupper tube 120 has a bend 130. From the front end 120 a and thecylindrical sleeve 126, the upper tube 120 extends rearward and slightlyupwards to the bend 130. From the bend 130, the upper tube 120 extendsrearward and downwards to the rear end 120 b. The rear end 120 b isdisposed vertically lower than the front end 120 a of the upper tube120. The bend 130 is closer to the front end 120 a than to the rear end120 b.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, when viewed from above, the left uppertube 120 has another bend 132 disposed longitudinally rearward of thebend 130. The bend 132 is longitudinally aligned with the rim of thetire secured around the wheel 16 as can be seen in FIG. 2. The leftupper tube 120 extends longitudinally and generally parallel to thelongitudinal centerplane 7 between the front end 120 a and the bend 130.The left upper tube 120 extends rearward and leftwardly (laterallyoutwardly) from the bend 130 to the bend 132. From the bend 132, theleft upper tube 120 then extends rearward and generally parallel to thelongitudinal centerplane 7 to the rear end 120 b. Thus, the frontportions of the upper tubes 120 of the left and right members 104 extendparallel to one another between their respective front ends 120 a andthe respective bends 130. The rear portions of the left and right uppertubes 120, between the bends 132 and their respective rear ends 120 a,also extend parallel to one another. In a middle portion, between theirrespective bends 130 and 132, the upper left and right tubes 120 extendrearward, downwardly and laterally away from one another.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 6 and 8, the lower tube 122 extends from afront end 122 a to a rear end 120 b. The front end 122 a of the lowertube 122 is welded to a front end portion of the upper tube 120. Theconnection of the front end 122 a of the lower tube 122 to the uppertube 120 is also reinforced by a bracket 121 as can be seen in FIG. 8.It is contemplated that the front end 122 a could be connected to theupper tube 120 by any suitable means. In the illustrated implementationof the swing arm 100, the front end 120 a of the upper tube 120 isdisposed longitudinally forward of the front end 122 a of the lower tube122. It is contemplated that the lower tube front end 122 a could bedisposed longitudinally forward of the upper tube front end 122 a, orthe front end 120 a, 122 a could be longitudinally aligned.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 6, the lower tube 122 extends downwards andrearwards from the front end 122 a to a bend 134. From the bend 134, thelower tube 122 extends upwards and rearwards to the rear end 122 b. Therear end 122 b is disposed vertically lower than the front end 122 a ofthe lower tube 120. The bend 134 of the lower tube 122 is closer to itsrear end 122 b than to its front end 122 a. The bend 134 of the lowertube 122 is disposed longitudinally rearward of the bend 130 of theupper tube 120. The lower tube bend 134 is longitudinally aligned withthe bend 132 of the upper tube 120. The bend 134 is also longitudinallyaligned with the rim of the tire secured around the wheel 16 as can beseen in FIG. 2. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the lower tube 122 extendsrearwardly and leftwardly from its front end 120 a to its rear end 120b.

The rear end 122 b of the lower tube 122 is connected to a rear end 120b of the upper tube 120. Thus, the rear ends 120 b, 122 b arelongitudinally aligned. It is contemplated that the rear end 120 b ofthe upper tube 120 could be disposed longitudinally forward or rearwardof the rear end 122 b of the lower tube 122. The rear ends 120 b, 122 bof the tubes 120, 122 are welded to each other. It is contemplatedhowever that the connection between the rear ends 120 b, 122 b could bemade by means other than welding, for example, by fasteners such asbolts, clamps and the like. The left axle holder 200 is connected torear ends 120 a, 120 b of both tubes 120, 122 and will be describedbelow.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, the connection tube 124 isconnected to the lower tube 122 at the bend 134. From the bend 134, theconnection tube 124 extends forwardly and upwardly to the upper tube120. The connection tube 124 is connected to the upper tube 120longitudinally forward of the bend 132 and longitudinally rearward ofthe bend 130. The connection between the upper tube 120 and theconnection tube 124 is disposed closer to the bend 132 than the bend130. The connection tube 124 therefore forms a triangular truss-likeformation with the rear portion of the upper and lower tubes 120, 122.The front portions of the upper and lower tubes 120, 122 form atrapezoidal structure with the connection tube 124. The connection tube124 is narrower is cross-section than the upper and lower tubes 120,122. It is however contemplated that the connection tube 124 could havethe same cross-sectional dimensions as the upper and lower tubes 120,122. The upper and lower tubes 120, 122 have generally the samecross-sectional shape and dimension. It is however contemplated that theupper tube 120 could have a different cross-sectional shape and/ordimension than the upper and lower tubes 120, 122.

It is contemplated that the tubes 120, 122 and 124 could each have ageometry that is different from the one described above. It is alsocontemplated that the tube 124 could be omitted or that additional tubescould be connected between the upper and lower tubes 120, 122.

With reference to FIG. 14A, a portion of the parking brake cable 39connected to the parking brake actuator 43 is housed in the right lowertube 122. The right lower tube 122 of the right member 104 has twoapertures 136, 137 in the right facing wall thereof. The parking brakecable 39 extends from the parking brake actuator 43 into the tube 122through the forward aperture 136 and exits from the tube 122 through therearward aperture 137 to connect to the brake caliper 45 b of the rearwheel brake 45. The right lower tube 122 thus provides a protected pathfor the portion of the parking cable 39 housed therein. The portion ofthe parking brake cable 39 housed in the right lower tube 122 isprotected from dust, dirt, debris, water, snow, and the like beingkicked up by the wheel 16. The portion of the parking brake cable 39housed inside the right lower tube 122 is also partially insulated fromheat being generated by the muffler. In addition, the visual appeal ofthe vehicle 10 is enhanced by having a portion of the parking brakecable 39 being hidden. It is contemplated that the parking brake cable39 could be housed in the right upper tube 120, or in one of the lefttubes 120, 122. It is contemplated that the aperture 136 could beomitted and the parking brake cable 39 could enter the tube 120 or 122through the opening of the tube 120 or 122 at the front end thereof (forexample, in a configuration of the swing arm 100 in which the front endof the tube 120 or 122 housing the parking brake cable 39 does not havethe sleeve 126). Similarly, it is contemplated that the aperture 137could be omitted and instead of exiting the tube 120 or 122 through theaperture 137, the parking brake cable 39 could exit the tube 120 or 122through the opening at the rear end (for example, in a configuration ofthe swing arm 100 in which the rear end of the tube 120 or 122 housingthe parking brake cable 39 does not have the axle holder 200 connectedthereto).

With reference to FIG. 14A, a bracket 138 is connected to the uppersurface of the upper tube 120 of the right member 120. The bracket 138has pairs of laterally spaced tabs (best seen in FIG. 3) for holding oneof the brake lines 38 connected to the rear wheel brake 45. It iscontemplated that the bracket 138 could be connected to a differentsurface of the right upper tube 120. It is contemplated that the bracket138 could be connected to the right lower tube 122, to the left upper orlower tubes 120, 122. It is contemplated that the portion of the brakelines 38 extending toward the brake caliper 45 b of the rear wheel brake45 could be housed in one of the tubes 120, 122 of the left or rightmember 104 instead of being supported on the outer surface thereof bythe bracket 138. It is contemplated that the brake line 38 and theparking brake cable 39 could be housed in the same tube 120, 122, or indifferent tubes 120, 122.

It is contemplated that any one or more of the tubes 120, 122, 124, 140,142 of the swing arm 100 could be used to house a portion of an elementextending laterally, longitudinally or vertically through the vehicle10. For example, the element housed in the tube could be an electricalwire for powering a device connected to the vehicle 10, or a controlwire for communicating therewith. As another example, the element couldbe a hydraulic or pneumatic line for passage of fluid such as the brakelines 38. It is contemplated that one of the tubes 120, 122, 124, 140,142 could house a plurality of such elements.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the left facing portion of the right uppertube 120 has a caliper mounting bracket 139, in the form of acylindrical projection 139 extending laterally. As can be seen in FIG.14C the caliper 45 b of the rear wheel brake 45 is suspended from theprojection 139 by a bracket 192 having an elongated slot 194. The pin139 is received in the elongated slot 194 so that the caliper 45 b isadjustable along with the wheel 16. The pin 139 serves to retain thecaliper 45 b and the bracket 192, and prevents rotation of the caliper45 b and bracket 192 during braking of the rear wheel 16.

With reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the cross member 106 will now bedescribed. The cross member 106 is made of an upper portion 160 and alower portion 162 that are connected to each other and to the left andright members 104. The cross member 106 also includes a left sideportion 166 connected to the left tubes 120, 122 and a right sideportion 168 connected to the right tubes 120, 122. The cross member 106serves to increase torsional stiffness of the rear suspension assembly19. In the illustrated implementation of the rear suspension assembly19, the portions 160, 162, 166, 168 of the cross member 106 are made bystamping. It is however contemplated that the cross member 106 could bemade by any suitable process.

As can be seen in FIG. 13, the upper portion 160 has a generallyhorizontally extending middle portion 160 a connected to a front portion160 b and a rear portion 160 c. The front and rear portions 160 b and160 c extend generally vertically. The front portion 160 b extendsupwardly from a front edge 172 to the middle portion 160 a and the rearportion 160 c extends upwardly from a rear edge 174 to the middleportion 160 a. A downwardly facing recess 170 is formed between thefront and rear portions 160 b, 160 c.

With reference to 7, a left edge 176 of the upper portion 160 isconnected to the left upper tube 120 and a right edge 178 of the upperportion 160 is connected to the right upper tube 120. A front portion ofthe left edge 176 is connected to the portion of the left upper tube 120longitudinally forward of its bend 130. The left edge 176 extendslongitudinally rearward of the left tube bend 130. A front portion ofthe right edge 178 is connected to the portion of the right upper tube120 longitudinally forward of its bend 130. The right edge 176 extendslongitudinally rearward of the right tube bend 130.

With reference to FIG. 13, a lower left portion 175 of the rear portion160 c extends leftwardly of the middle portion 160 a and is disposedbetween the upper and lower tubes 120, 122 of the left member 104.Similarly, on the right side, a lower right portion 177 of the rearportion 160 c is disposed between the right upper and lower tubes 120,122 of the right member 104.

With reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the lower portion 162 has a generallyhorizontally extending middle portion 162 a connected to a front portion162 b and a rear portion 162 c. The front and rear portions 162 b and162 c extend generally vertically. The front portion 162 b extendsdownwardly from a front edge 182 to the middle portion 162 a and therear portion 162 c extends downwardly from a rear edge 184 to the middleportion 162 a. A downwardly facing recess 180 is formed between thefront and rear portions 162 b, 162 c.

With reference to 8, a left edge 186 of the lower portion 162 isconnected to the left lower tube 122. A right edge 178 of the lowerportion 162 is connected to the right lower tube 122. The front edge 182of the lower portion 162 is connected to the front edge 172 of the upperportion 160. The rear edge 184 of the lower portion 162 is connected tothe rear edge 174 of the upper portion 160 as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and9.

With reference to FIG. 13, an upper left portion 185 of the rear portion162 c extends leftwardly of the middle portion 160 a and is disposedbetween the upper and lower tubes 120, 122 of the left member 104.Similarly, on the right side, an upper right portion 187 of the rearportion 162 c extends rightwardly of the middle portion 160 a and isdisposed between the right upper and lower tubes 120, 122 of the rightmember 104.

With reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the cross member 160 also includes aleft portion 166 disposed between the tubes 120, 122 of the left member104, and a right portion 168 disposed between the tubes 120, 122 of theright member 104. The portions 166, 168 increase the torsional stiffnessof the rear suspension assembly 19.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the left portion 166 has an upper edgeconnected to the left upper tube 120 and a lower edge connected to theleft lower tube 122. A rear edge of the left portion 166 is connected tothe left edges 176, 186 along the portions 175, 185 of the upper andlower portions 160, 162. Similarly, the right portion 168 has an upperedge connected to the right upper tube 120 and a lower edge connected tothe right lower tube 122. A rear edge of the right portion 168 isconnected to the right edges 178, 188 along the portions 177, 187 of theupper and lower portions 160, 162.

The stamped portions 166, 168 also prevent entry of debris through thespace between the left upper and lower tubes 120, 122 into the spaceenclosed between the upper and lower stamped portions 160, 162.

Since the cross member 106 is connected to the left and right members104 near the connection between their respective upper and lower tubes120, 122, the portions 166, 168 are generally triangular in shape. It ishowever contemplated cross member could not be connected to the upperand lower tubes 120, 122 of the members 104 near where they connecttogether. The portions 166, 168 would then have a trapezoidal shape or ashape conforming to that particular location.

As can be seen in FIGS. 7 to 10, the upper surface of the cross memberportion 160 is generally vertically aligned with an upper surface of theportion of the upper tube 120 connected to the cross member 106. Thelower surface of the cross member portion 162 is generally verticallyaligned with a lower surface of the portion of the lower tubes 122connected to the cross member 106. The cross member 106 thus has avertical depth generally spanning the distance between the upper surfaceof the upper tubes 120 and lower surface of the lower tubes 122 (in theportion of the connected to the cross member 106). The cross member 106has a length in the longitudinal direction spanning the longitudinaldistance between the front edges 172, 182 and the rear edges 174, 184.The cross member 106 is hollow and thus considerably light while alsoproviding a relatively large resistance to torsional forces exerted onthe swing arm 100, in situations such as for example, during turning ofthe vehicle, travel on uneven ground, or when experiencing a flat tire.

The upper portion 160 is made by stamping a piece of sheet metal to formthe recess 170. The lower portion 162 is made by stamping a piece ofsheet metal to form the recess 180. The portions 166, 168 are also madeby stamping a piece of sheet metal cut to the appropriate dimensionseither after, before or during stamping. It is contemplated that thecross member 106 could be in the form of an extruded piece, however,using two stamped portions is comparatively more cost effective and alsoallows attachment of the cross member to portions of the tubes 120, 122having bends. A single integral piece would be difficult to installbetween bent portions of the tubes 120, 122. Nonetheless, cross membersmade by extrusions or other processes are contemplated for some aspectsof the technology described herein.

It is contemplated that the shape and dimensions of the cross member 106could be different than as shown herein. It is contemplated that theswing arm 100 could have more than one cross member 106. It should alsobe understood that instead of being formed of upper and lower portions160, 162, the cross member 106 could be constructed of a left and aright portion connected together, with the left portion being connectedto the left member 104, and the right portion being connected to theright member 104. It is also contemplated that more or less portionsthan described above could be used to form the cross member 106.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the shock absorber mount 108 includes acentral lower member 140, and upper left and right member 142. Thecentral lower member 140 is disposed generally horizontally and extendslaterally between the left and right members 104. The left end of thecentral lower member 140 is connected to the lower left tube 122 of theleft member 104 longitudinally forward of its bend 134. The right end ofthe central lower member 140 is connected to the lower right tube 122 ofthe left member 104 longitudinally forward of its bend 134. The bottomsurface of the central member 140 is aligned vertically with the bottomsurface of the lower left tube 122 at the connection therebetween. Thebottom surface of the central member 140 is aligned vertically with thebottom surface of the lower right tube 122 at the connectiontherebetween.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 6, the upper left member 142 of the shockabsorber mount 108 is connected to a central portion of the centralmember 140, slightly leftward of the longitudinal centerplane 7. Theupper left member 142 of the shock absorber mount 108 extends upwardly,forwardly and leftwardly from the central member 140 to the upper lefttube 120 of the left member 104. The upper left tube 120 of the leftmember 104 is connected to the upper left member 142 of the shockabsorber mount 108 longitudinally forwardly of the connection betweenconnection tube 124 and the upper left tube 120. The upper right member142 of the shock absorber mount 108 is generally a mirror image of theupper left member 142, and will therefore not be described again. In theillustrated implementation, the upper left and right members 142 are notdirectly connected to each other, and their connection with the centralmember 140 is offset from the longitudinal centerplane 7 but it iscontemplated that the members 140, 142 could all be connected togetherat a common point disposed in the longitudinal centerplane 7.

As best seen in FIG. 7, a bracket 144 is connected to the members 140,142. The bracket 144 includes a bottom tab 144 a connected to the bottomsurface of the central member 140 and extending forwardly therefrom. Thebottom tab extends horizontally and laterally. Vertical tabs 144 bextends upwards from the left and right edges of the bottom tab 144 a.The left vertical tab 144 b is connected to the front surface of thelower central member 140 and the upper left member 142 and extendsforwardly therefrom. The right vertical tab 144 b is connected to thefront surface of the lower central member 140 and the upper right member142 and extends forwardly therefrom. Each vertical tab 144 b has athrough hole (not shown). The through-holes of the left and right tabs144 b are aligned with each other and are used for the attachment of theshock absorber 102 as will be explained below.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the shock absorber 102 includes ahydraulic damper 102 a and a coil spring 102 b disposed coaxially aroundthe hydraulic damper 102 a. The spring 102 b can be compressed to absorbbumps as the vehicle 10 travels over uneven ground. A cylindrical sleeve148 is formed at each end of the shock absorber 102 (the sleeve 148 ofthe top end of the shock absorber 102 can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4). Thecylindrical sleeve 148 of the lower end of the shock absorber 102 isplaced between the vertical tabs 144 b and a bolt 146 (FIG. 7) isinserted through the aligned holes of the vertical tabs 144 b and thecylindrical sleeve 148 to fasten the shock absorber 102 to the bracket144 of the shock absorber mount 108 and thereby, to the swing arm 100.The cylindrical sleeve 148 at the upper end of the shock absorber 102 isconnected to a portion of the frame 12 below the seat 20.

In addition to mounting the shock absorber 102, the shock absorber mount108 also helps to counteract the torsion forces experienced by the swingarm 100 and to maintain a constant separation between the left and rightmembers 104 of the swing arm 100.

The members 140, 142 of the shock absorber amount 108 are in the form oftubes having a circular cross-sectional shape. The members 140, 142 ofthe shock absorber amount 108 are narrower is cross-section than thetubes 120, 122, 124 of the left and right members 104. It is howevercontemplated that the members 140, 142 could have the samecross-sectional dimensions as any one of the tubes 120, 122, 124. Themembers 142 are connected to the central member 140 and the left andright member tubes 120 by welding. It is contemplated however that theconnection of the between the members 142, 142, 120 could be made bymeans other than welding, for example, the tubes 120, 122 could beconnected by fasteners such as bolts, clamps and the like.

The axle holder 200 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to24. The left axle holder 200 connected to the rear end of the leftmember 104 is a mirror image of the right axle holder 200 connected tothe rear end of the right member 104. As such, only the left axle holder200 will be described herein in detail. Corresponding features of theleft and right axle holders 200 are numbered using the same referencenumbers.

With reference to FIGS. 15 to 20, the axle holder 200 includes a body202 and a cap 204. The axle holder body 202 has a front end 206 and arear end 208. The body 202 encloses an interior space 207 (FIGS. 18, 20)between the front and rear ends 206, 208. The front and rear ends 206,208 are both open and the cap 202 is used to close the rear open end208. The front end 206 of the body 202 is welded to the rear ends 120 b,122 b of the upper and lower left tubes 120, 122. It is howevercontemplated that the body 202 could be attached to the tubes 120, 122by means of fasteners or other types of connections. The axle holderbody 202 and the cap 204 are made of aluminum. It is contemplated thatthe body 202 and the cap 204 could be made of other suitable materials.The body 202 is made by casting but it is contemplated that the body 202could be made by other means.

As can be seen in FIG. 18, the space 207 enclosed by the axle holderbody 202 is an extension of the interior cylindrical spaces enclosed bythe upper and lower left tubes 120, 122 at the rear ends 120 b, 122 b.The space 207 has the shape of two longitudinally extending andoverlapping cylinders, the upper one of the cylinders (corresponding tothe tube 120) being disposed with its central axis at an angle withrespect to the central axis of the lower one (corresponding to the tube122) of the cylinders.

With reference to FIG. 15, the upper portion of the of the axle holderbody 202 has an elongated slot 210A defined in the left side wall(laterally outer wall). The right side wall (laterally inner wall) ofthe axle holder 200 has another elongated slot 210B (the inner or leftslot 210A of the right axle holder 200 being shown in the Figures, forexample, in FIG. 11). The slots 210A and 210B of the left axle holder200 are aligned vertically and longitudinally with each other so thatthe laterally extending rear axle 110 can extend laterally through thealigned slots 210, 210B (and the opening 258 of the axle adjuster 250which will be described below). The slot 210B is a mirror image of theslot 210A with respect to a vertical plane passing through the axis 120c of the upper left tube 120. As such, only the left slot 210A will bediscussed below.

With reference to FIG. 15, the slot 210A is stadium shaped and iselongated in the direction parallel to the central axis 120 c of theportion of the upper left tube 120 extending forwardly from the axleholder body 202. In other words, the slot 210A is longer in thedirection parallel to the axis 120 c than in the direction perpendicularto the axis 120 c when viewed from a side as in FIG. 15. It iscontemplated that the slots 210A, 210B could be elongated in a directionother than the direction parallel to the axis 120 c. A boss is formed ofthe outer surface of the axle holder body 202 around the slot 210A.

With reference to FIGS. 15 to 17, 19 and 20, an upper tab 230 extendsupwardly from the upper surface of the axle holder body 200. The uppertab 230 is triangular and has a through-hole 232. A groove 231 extendsinto the left surface (laterally outwardly facing surface) of the tab230 around the through-hole 232. The groove 231 extends to the upperedges of the tab 230. A boss is formed around the through-hole 232 onthe right surface (laterally outwardly facing surface) of the tab 230.

With reference to FIGS. 15 to 17, 19 and 20, a lower tab 234 extendsdownwardly and rearward from the lower surface of the axle holder body200. The lower tab 234 is disposed longitudinally rearward of the uppertab 230 and has a through-hole 236. A groove 235 extends into the leftsurface (laterally outer surface) of the tab 230 around the through-hole236. The groove 235 extends to the lower edges of the tab 234. A boss isformed around the through-hole 236 on the right surface (laterallyoutwardly facing surface) of the tab 234.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4, the left side of the fender support 112is connected to the tabs 230, 234 of the left axle holder 200.Similarly, a right side of the fender support 112 is connected to thetabs 230, 234 of the right axle holder 200. The fender support 112includes a left upper arm 240 connected to the upper tab 230 and a leftlower arm 244 connected to the lower tab 234 of the left axle holder. Aleft connecting arm 242 extends between the upper and lower left arms240, 244. The upper and lower left arms extend rearward from the tabs230, 234 to the fender 26. The rear ends of the left arms 240, 244 areconnected to a left side of a bracket 246 on the rear surface of thefender 26. The fender support 112 also includes a right upper arm 240connected to the upper tab 230 and a right lower arm 244 connected tothe lower tab 234 of the right axle holder 200. A right connecting arm242 extends between the upper and lower right arms 240, 244. The upperand lower right arms 240, 244 extend rearward from their respective tabs230, 234 to the fender 26. The rear ends of the right arms 244, 246connect to a right side of the bracket 246 on the rear surface of thefender 26.

As can be seen in FIGS. 15 and 18, an axle adjuster 250 is placed in thespace 207 inside the axle holder 200. With reference to FIGS. 20 to 24,the axle adjuster 250 has a generally cylindrical body 252 extendingbetween a front end 254 and a rear end 256, and having a central axis252 a. The axle holder 250 is disposed in the upper portion of the axleholder space 207 coaxially with the upper left tube portion 120 thatextends forwardly from the axle holder 200. The body 252 is slidableinside the axle holder 207 in a direction parallel to the axes 120 c,252 a.

As can be seen in FIGS. 15, 21 and 22, an opening 258 is formed near thefront end 254. The opening 258 extends laterally through the body 252 ofthe axle adjuster 250. As can be seen in FIGS. 18 and 24, when viewedfrom a side, the opening 258 is slightly elongated in the directionperpendicular to the axis 252 a than in the direction along the axis220.

As can be seen in FIG. 15, the opening 258 is aligned with the slots210A, 210B so that the axle 110 can extend laterally therethrough. Theslots 210A, 210B are longer than the opening 258 in the directionparallel to the axis 120 c, 252 a (when viewed from a side). The slots210A, 210B are slightly smaller than the opening 258 in the directionperpendicular to the axis 120 c, 252 a (when viewed from a side). Therear axle 110 can therefore slide inside the slots 210A, 210B in thedirection parallel to the axes 252 a, 120 c when the axle adjuster 250slides in the axle holder 200. The axes 252 a, 120 c are thereforereferred to as the axle adjustment axis. It will be understood that, ingeneral, the axle 110 slides in a direction parallel to an axleadjustment axis that will be determined based on the specificconfiguration of the axle adjuster 250 and the axle holder 200. Thus, itis contemplated that the axle adjustment axis could not be parallel orcoaxial with either one of the axes 120 c and 252 a. For clarity, theaxle adjustment axis will be referred to hereinafter using a differentreference number, namely axle adjustment axis 220. An axle adjustmentdirection is defined as a direction parallel to the axle adjustment axis220.

As can be seen in FIGS. 21 and 22, another opening 260 extends laterallythrough the axle adjuster body 252. The opening 260 is disposed betweenthe opening 258 and the rear end 256. When viewed from the side as inFIG. 22, the opening 260 is rectangular and centered with respect to theadjuster axis 252 a. The opening 260 has laterally extending walls 260c, a vertically extending front wall 260 b, and a vertically extendingrear wall 260 a that is disposed closer to the rear end 256 than thevertically extending front wall 260 b.

With reference to FIGS. 22 and 24, a nut 270 is disposed in the opening260. The nut is disposed coaxially with the axes 220, 252 a, 120 c. Thenut 270 is a locking type nut. As can be seen in FIG. 24, the dimensionsof the opening 260 are configured such that the laterally extendingwalls 260 c of the opening 260 abut the opposite faces of the hexagonalnut 270 limiting rotation of the nut 260 in the opening 270. The frontand rear walls 260 a, 260 b are spaced further apart that the front andrear surfaces of the nut 270 so that the nut can slide for a shortdistance along the lateral extending wall 260 c.

The axle adjuster body 252 has additional recesses 262 to reduce theweight of the axle adjuster 250. The recesses 262 are disposedlongitudinally between the opening 258 and the rear end 256. It iscontemplated that the recesses 262 could be openings extending throughthe body 252.

With reference to FIGS. 24 and 18, a cylindrical passage 264 extendsinto the axle adjuster body 252 from the rear end 256 and coaxially withthe axle adjustment axis 220. The passage 264 extends from the rear end256 to the opening 258 and passes through the opening 260. It iscontemplated that the passage 266 could not extend to the opening 258.

The cap 204 has an opening 268 aligned with the passage 264. An axleadjuster bolt 266 is inserted through the opening 268 of the cap 204into the passage 264. A recess 269 is formed on the rearward facingsurface of the cap 204 around the opening 268 to accommodate the head ofthe bolt 266 and a tool to rotate the bolt 266. The bolt 266 is engagedby the nut 270 as it passes through the portion of the passage 264coinciding with the opening 260.

When the bolt 266 is rotated in a clockwise direction (as viewed fromthe rear end 208 of the axle holder 200), the bolt 266 passes forwardlythrough the nut 270 (towards the front end 206 of the axle holder 200).Once the nut 270 abuts the rear wall 260 b of the opening 260, furtherrotation of the bolt 270 pulls the axle adjuster body 252 rearwardtowards the cap 204, thereby moving the axle 110 rearward in the slots201A, 210B and away from the front end 206. The motion of the bolt 266towards the front end 206 of the axle holder 200 and the motion of theaxle adjuster body 252 towards the rear end 208 of the axle holder 200is limited by an annular stopper 272 placed in the passage 264 betweenthe opening 270 and the opening 258. When the bolt 266 abuts the stopper272, the axle adjuster 250 cannot be moved further rearward.

When the bolt 266 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewedfrom the rear end 208 of the axle holder 200), the bolt 266 passesrearward through the nut 270 (towards the rear end 208 of the axleholder 200). Once the nut 270 abuts the front wall 260 a of the opening260, further rotation of the bolt 270 slides the axle adjuster body 252forwardly away from the cap 204, thereby moving the axle 110 forwardlyin the slots 201A, 210B toward the front end 206 of the axle holder 200.

It is contemplated that the nut 270 could be omitted and that a portionof the passage 264 could be threaded to engage the bolt 266 for movingthe axle adjuster 250 inside the axle holder 200 as described above.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described implementations ofthe present vehicle may become apparent to those skilled in the art. Theforegoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting.The scope of the present technology is therefore intended to be limitedsolely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A swing arm for a vehicle comprising: a leftmember including at least one left tube extending longitudinally, the atleast one left tube comprising an upper left tube and a lower left tubeextending longitudinally, the upper and lower left tubes being connectedtogether at least at one of: front end portions of the upper and lowerleft tubes and rear end portions of the upper and lower left tubes; aright member including at least one right tube extending longitudinally,the at least one right tube comprising an upper right tube and a lowerright tube extending longitudinally, the upper and lower right tubesbeing connected together at least at one of: front end portions of theupper and lower right tubes and rear end portions of the upper and lowerright tubes, a front portion of the upper left tube and a front portionof the upper right tube being parallel to each other, respective frontend portions of the left and right members being adapted to be pivotablyconnected to a frame of the vehicle, respective rear end portions of theleft and right members being adapted to mount a rear wheel axle; a crossmember extending laterally between the left and right members andcomprising: a stamped first portion being rigidly connected to at leastone of the left and right members; and a stamped second portion beingrigidly connected to at least the other of the left and right members,the first and second portions being connected to each other and defininga space therebetween; and a shock absorber mount adapted to connect toone end of a shock absorber, the shock absorber mount being connected tothe left and right members and extending laterally therebetween, theshock absorber mount being disposed longitudinally between the crossmember and the rear end portions of the left and right members, and theshock absorber mount being spaced from the cross member and the rear endportions of the left and right members.
 2. The swing arm of claim 1,wherein: the stamped first portion is an upper portion having a frontedge, a rear edge, a left edge connected to the left member and a rightedge connected to the right member; the stamped second portion is alower portion having a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge connected tothe left member and a right edge connected to the right member.
 3. Theswing arm of claim 2, wherein: the rear edges of the upper and lowerportions are connected to each other; and the front edges of the upperand lower portions are connected to each other.
 4. The swing arm ofclaim 3, wherein: a front portion of the upper portion extends upwardlyfrom the front edge of the lower portion; and a rear portion of theupper portion extends upwardly from the rear edge of the lower portion.5. The swing arm of claim 3, wherein: a front portion of the lowerportion extends downwardly from the front edge of the upper portion; anda rear portion of the lower portion extends downwardly from the rearedge of the upper portion.
 6. The swing arm of claim 1, wherein: theleft member further comprises a left connection tube connected to theupper and lower left tubes; and the right member further comprises aright connection tube connected to the upper and lower right tubes. 7.The swing arm of claim 6, wherein: the left connection tube is disposedlongitudinally between the front and rear end portions of the leftmember; and the right connection tube is disposed longitudinally betweenthe front and rear end portions of the right member.
 8. The swing arm ofclaim 1, wherein a rear portion of the upper left tube and a rearportion of the upper right tube are parallel to each other, the rearportion of the upper left tube being disposed leftwardly of the frontportion of the upper left tube, the rear portion of the upper right tubebeing disposed rightwardly of the front portion of the upper right tube.9. The swing arm of claim 1, wherein: the stamped first portion is anupper portion having a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge beingconnected to the upper left tube and a right edge being connected to theupper right tube; the stamped second portion is a lower portion having afront edge, a rear edge, a left edge being connected to the lower lefttube and a right edge being connected to the lower right tube.
 10. Theswing arm of claim 9, wherein: the rear edges of the upper and lowerportions are connected to each other; and the front edges of the upperand lower portions are connected to each other.
 11. The swing arm ofclaim 9, wherein a connection between the rear edges of the upper andlower portions of the cross member is disposed vertically between theupper left tube and the lower left tube.
 12. The swing arm of claim 9,wherein the cross member further comprises: a left portion connected toat least one of the upper and lower portions, the left portion having anupper edge connected to the upper left tube and a lower edge connectedto the lower left tube; and a right portion connected to at least one ofthe upper and lower portions, the right portion having an upper edgeconnected to the upper right tube and a lower edge connected to thelower right tube.
 13. The swing arm of claim 1, wherein the shockabsorber mount comprises: a first shock absorber mount member connectedto the left and right members and extending laterally therebetween; aleft shock absorber mount member being connected to the first shockabsorber mount member and the left member; a right shock absorber mountmember being connected to the first shock absorber mount member and theright member; and a mounting bracket being adapted to be connected tothe one end of the shock absorber and being disposed laterally betweenthe left and right members, the mounting bracket being connected to atleast one of: the left and right shock absorber mount members, and thefirst shock absorber mount member.
 14. The swing arm of claim 1, furthercomprising a brake caliper mounting bracket connected to one of the leftand right members, the brake caliper mounting bracket being adapted tobe connected to a brake caliper connected to a rear wheel mounted on therear wheel axle.
 15. The swing arm of claim 14, wherein at least one ofthe at least one left tube and the at least one right tube is adapted tohouse therein a portion of at least one of: a parking brake cableoperatively connected to the brake caliper; and a brake line operativelyconnected to the brake caliper.
 16. The swing arm of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one aperture defined in one of: the at least oneleft tube; and the at least one right tube, the one of the at least oneleft tube and the at least one right tube being adapted to house atleast one element, the at least one aperture being configured to receivetherethrough the at least one element, and each of the at least oneelement being one of: a cable; a fluid passage line; and a wire.
 17. Avehicle comprising: a frame; at least one front wheel connected to theframe; at least one rear wheel connected to the frame; a rear axle, theat least one rear wheel being mounted to the rear axle; a motorsupported by the frame and operatively connected to at least one of thewheels; a seat connected to the frame; and a swing arm comprising: aleft member including at least one left tube extending longitudinally,the at least one left tube comprising an upper left tube and a lowerleft tube extending longitudinally, the upper and lower left tubes beingconnected together at least at one of: front end portions of the upperand lower left tubes and rear end portions of the upper and lower lefttubes; a right member including at least one right tube extendinglongitudinally, the at least one right tube comprising an upper righttube and a lower right tube extending longitudinally, the upper andlower right tubes being connected together at least at one of: front endportions of the upper and lower right tubes and rear end portions of theupper and lower right tubes, a front portion of the upper left tube anda front portion of the upper right tube being parallel to each other,respective front end portions of the left and right members beingpivotably connected to the frame, the rear axle being mounted torespective rear end portions of the left and right members; and a crossmember extending laterally between the left and right members andcomprising: a stamped first portion being rigidly connected to at leastone of the left and right members; and a stamped second portion beingrigidly connected to at least the other of the left and right members,the first and second portions being connected to each other and defininga space therebetween.
 18. The vehicle of claim 17, further comprising atleast one element, the at least one element being one of: a cable; afluid passage line; and a wire, the at least one element being housed atleast partly in one of: the at least one left tube; and the at least oneright tube.